A Tribute to Love
by Blueraingurl
Summary: A tribute to Kaoru from a Tomoe fan [Oneshot]


Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin

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Title: _A Tribute to Love_

Kaoru first person POV

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When I was eighteen-

You came into my life as a beautiful stranger-

You saved me from danger even before you knew me-

I knew then, that I needed you in my life-

I couldn't exist without you, my beautiful stranger-

I asked you to stay at my dojo-

And you shut the door.

I felt your lost the instant I heard the slamming of the doors, but I turned around and there you were-

My beautiful stranger-

-Rurouni-

You said you were a rurouni-

And I accepted you- I didn't care about your past

because I had already accepted you into my life.

You were who you wanted me to believe you were-

Because I trusted you that much, even from the beginning.

As the days passed by, I couldn't get enough of you-

Admiring you from afar-

Watching you help out at the dojo-

Seeing you smile at me-

It melted my heart.

But I was still eighteen-

Yahiko called me a buso-

I really believed him- even when I argued back that I wasn't ugly.

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'Was I ugly to you Kenshin?'

What must have you seen in me then?

I was tomly-

really unfeminine-

I was immature-

Just growing into womanhood-

I gave my façade of hitting you- making you go further away from me,

When all I have ever wanted was for you to get closer.

I didn't know how to express it then.

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'Was it love even then?'

Yes, day by day I fell in love with you Kenshin, whoever you were.

Battousai, rurouni, whatever you are-

You are just you to me.

Then my world crumbled before my eyes-

You said goodbye-

That night with the fireflies, I couldn't breathe-

My world crashed the moment you said goodbye.

I sank into oblivion-

Your face-

Your words-

Your touch-

Replaying in my mind poignantly disjointed-

Then came those around me-

Sanosuke, Yahiko, and finally Megumi-

"Do you know how it felt when Kenshin said goodbye!" I screamed at Megumi.

She turned to me then-

With the most haunted look in her eyes and said, "Do you know how it feels to not have received that last goodbye?"

My world crashed again-

I was still immature-

But I began to learn what it meant to become a woman-

I awoke from my slumber_- 'Kenshin, I had to see you'_

As the battle ensued with Shishio, I saw Kenshin's turmoil-

Your battle with Battousai-

Your battle with blood-

I think I understood then, even though I cannot articulate it now, which my longing for what you really wanted was, mirrored, in my eyes-

This pulled you out again from your abyss as you looked at me.

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My eyes mirrored his own-

His will, his life-

His cross,

His shame-

His hope-

His repentance.

Kenshin returned to us-

You returned and that was enough for me-

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But life took a bittersweet turn that day when

Enishi appeared-

You withdrew into yourself again-

You unfolded your past to us all-

Your cross, made so clear by the act of your first wife-

I was confused.

-Tomoe-san?-

What were my feelings then?

I could have felt jealously for you had had another-

But I couldn't bear that thought into my mind-

For in everything, I had already accepted you-

I trust you- 

No matter what-

Her presence loomed hugely in my mind-

She had ultimately given up her life so that you might live yours-

Without her, you couldn't be who you were now.

Then the madness subsided in Enishi as he looked at me protect my love-

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'What did he see?'

He had seen Tomoe,

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'Who had saved you Kenshin?'

Was it me or was it Tomoe again?

It didn't matter- it truly didn't because it was us both-

I am she and she is me- we love you the same-

After everything had taken place with Enishi-

I prayed at her gravestone that day:

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'Arigato- Tomoe-san for everything . . . I can never take that place in Kenshin's heart that he has for you, but I will protect him, I will love him, I will do everything for him to ease his heart now-'

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I was no longer eighteen-

This awkward teenager, me, had become a woman-

Thus I was able to let you go-

We had married and you had given up your sword to Yahiko- and you wandered again.

"Kenshin, it is okay for you to leave, just promise me that you will come back," I said strongly for you and for me.

You looked at me, I could see myself reflected in your eye again-

And I knew I had made the right decision.

But slowly your body was feeling the effects of the Hiten technique-

Your body had been pressed beyond their capability throughout the years-

You were dying-

And that was when I started to die-

I wanted to be close to you no matter what-

I shared your pain as we made love again that night-

But it didn't matter if I died, because I would die anyway if you were not here to exist with me-

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Present:

I wait under the cherry blossoms this day-

I can feel you returning to me-

I see you and I run to embrace you-

I am yours-

And you are mine-

We settle under the tree-

I look into your eyes and said, "welcome home Shinta"

You smile-

A real smile, finally-

I had made you smile . . .

Then just as fleeting-

You close your eyes-

"Next year, we will have our friends gather, and we will watch the cherry blossoms again . . ." I go on talking . . . 

I brush a strand of hair away from your eyes- and

"Finally, your cross is gone,"

I smile though as a tear slid down-

Because I know that I will be joining you soon-

And we can all smile together, 

Tomoe-san, you, and me-

We have traveled a long and heavy road called life-

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A/N: I know this is bad but please forgive me because I am not a Kaoru expert. But I needed to and wanted to understand the person who was Kaoru. As I wrote this I began to fall in love with her- not literally! ^^ but I began to understand her as a person. My conclusion is that Kenshin was a very lucky guy to have two different, but similar women care so much about him- to love him to the extent that they do and beyond. 

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In remembrance of Tomoe and Kaoru-


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